Last night I went to a concert with my friends and sisters at French Institution to celebrate the World Music Day in Kabul. Morchaha and Kabul dreams, the two rock and blues bands, played beautifully. It was very nice to see how the youths especially girls supported the new culture of music in Afghanistan.
Although rock, jazz and blues do not have a long history in Afghanistan, I was surprised of the support the audience gave to the bands while they were playing. It is not easy to make, and maintain a music band in Afghanistan because a few Afghans invest on music for many social and cultural reasons. For example, first, it is hard to find people who play well musical instruments, and even after finding the right musicians, supporting the music band financially is another challenge.
From cultural perspective, religious and conservative environment in Afghanistan is always challenging for music bands. Religious groups may restrict public activities of music bands. For instance, for music bands like Morchaha and Kabul dreams, it is not easy to find a place to perform. In May 2013, a group of conservative people including police forces interrupted Morchaha band’s performance. They attacked the restaurant that Morchaha was performing. Many religious Afghans think these kinds of music bands are part of western cultural that threatens traditional Afghan culture. For instance, Omar who loves classical Afghan music believes that Morchaha’s band imposes western culture on Afghan youth and keeps them away from traditional Afghan values. However, there are many young Afghan who are welcoming these types of music and believe Afghan should be more open to different types of music and see it as a valuable opportunity that make Afghan culture richer. Mona who is one of Morchaha’s fans said rock music would encourage young Afghan to engage more in social life and express their thoughts and feelings more actively.
In a country like Afghanistan that suffers from war and conflict for decades, security and economy are much more serious concerns. However, last night concert showed that young Afghans are looking at music bands as an opportunity to express their hope and feelings for change. For instance, one of the audiences said that he could see how audience reaction changed every time they had a concert. “At first people were just staring, after a while they smiled and were more comfortable to express their feelings. Lately, they cheer with more enthusiasm” he said.
Afghanistan music has a long way to go. Every step deserves to be flourished and encouraged.
